In Pixar’s films, maleness has consistently been presented as “universal” as neutral. while femaleness is singular, and–even when a character is “strong”–she is inevitably imbued with those particular stereotypically female characteristics: she is a love interest or a helper. She is caring. She checks out her butt in the mirror. It has never once been HER experience, HER feelings, HER complexity or crisis that drives the narrative. If it were the opposite and Pixar had NEVER made a film in which a male character’s quest drove the story wouldn’t you find that a smidge odd?

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J.R. Daniel Kirk gets into a discussion about what is the purpose of prayer, in light of a quote that has been floating around Twitter.

If I may put it provocatively: the quote is a cop out. It transforms prayer from a dangerous act in which we summon the God of all the earth to act now upon the earth over which God is sovereign into something that’s just for shaping our little hearts. This is the worst sort of existentialism working itself out in a theology of prayer. The real thing isn’t that God would be intimately involved in the real world, acting on behalf of those upon whom God has set God’s name. No, the real thing would be getting ourselves aligned with some transhistorical God who won’t be bothered to engage the lives of God’s people.

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A refugee claimant from China was denied status in Canada because of how he answered the board’s question: What was Jesus like as a person?

In assessing Mr. Wang’s refugee claim, board adjudicator Daniel McSweeney asked Mr. Wang: “So tell me about Jesus as a person. What was he like?
“Jesus is son of God,” Mr. Wang said.
“I am not asking who he was or what he did. I am asking what is he like as a person,” Mr. McSweeney said.
“Jesus was conceived through the holy ghost and was born in this world,” Mr. Wang replied.
The answer did not satisfy the board member. “Anybody could memorize a creed and recite the creed. I want to know what you believe and what you know of Jesus as a person.”
“In my heart he is my saviour,” Mr. Wang answered.
“That is not . . . again, tell me what Jesus is as a person and this is the last time I am going to ask you.”
“I am sorry I really do not know how to answer.”

I guess the guy should have read some JD Crossan before his interview. Maybe that’s what the board was looking for?

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